The Halloween festivities are launched when Universal Studios Hollywood kicks holds their Eyegore Awards. So horror filmmakers and performers showed up at the studio’s Globe Theater to celebrate the annual tradition.

The emcee for the event was Corey Feldman, who became a fright film star with his Lost Boys vampire flick many years ago. He traded corny puns with a Zombie Scarecrow literally hanging around on the cornfield-decorated stage, which kept the gore-loving audience groaning throughout the ceremony.

David Arquette got an Eyegore, thanks to his role as Deputy Dewey in Wes Craven’s Scream film franchise. He said getting an Eyegore was a big honor and thanked “all of the wonderful freaks out there who live horror every day.” Arquette’s good friend Thomas Jane (from The Mist and Hung) presented the award and of course made reference to the horror Arquette is living these days as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.

Rainn Wilson did not earn his Eyegore for his work as Dwight, the oddball employee on NBC’s acclaimed sitcom The Office, instead it was for his odd role as “Fishboy” in Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses.

Wilson praised the experience of working with Zombie, who presented him with the award. Being in the company of all the horror genre notables in attendance was a genuine thrill for Wilson and he said, “I never thought I’d be standing here with you freaks, getting an Eyegore Award at Universal. I mean, have you guys ever seen a movie where a cheerleader isn’t getting shot in the face?”

Wilson said he gets recognized for a lot of things, “but the thing that always gets me the most excited is when someone comes up to me and yells, ‘Fishboy!’ That is always the one I love the most.” Cheering for Wilson were his 1000 Corpses castmates Sherri Moon, Karen Black and past Eyegore winner Sid Haig.

Also owning up to his past was Jamie Kennedy, who played the horror movie fanboy Randy Meeks in a couple of Scream movies. When he was handed his award from director James Gunn (Slither), Kennedy joked, “A lot of fans were sad that I died in Scream 2. And a lot of people were probably sadder that I didn’t die in Son of the Mask 2.”

Child actress Bailee Madison was honored for her starring role as the tormented little girl in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. The 11-year-old gave a very mature acceptance speech thanking her producer Guillermo del Toro.

Beautiful blonde Emma Bell got her award for the AMC zombie series The Walking Dead, but a lot of fanboys may remember her as the ill-fated skier in director Adam Green’s Frozen. Green presented the Eyegore to her as she beamed, “I’m so thankful to the entire horror community.”

On hand was actor and horror producer Eli Roth, who helped judge the short film competition along with Universal’s creative director John Murdy. The star of the upcoming Universal film The Thing, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Murdy announced the winner of the contest, Brent Bokovoy of El Cajon who showed a flair for filmmaking with his Monsters in My Swimming Pool scary story.

Alice Cooper’s daughter Calico picked up her dad’s Eyegore. But the shock-rocker taped a thank you message because he was on a concert tour. Calico had great things to say about the twisted horror maze “Alice Cooper’s Welcome to my Nightmare,” which her dad designed for Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

At the end of the ceremony all were invited to enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, running through Oct. 31 on selected nights. The Girls Next Door’s Bridget Marquardt, Diego Luna, Bella Thorne, Dylan Minnette, plus a trio from Glee, Dot-Marie Jones, Iqbal Theba and Josh Sussman, were among the famous faces seen enjoying the bloody great attractions and nightmarish mazes throughout Universal.

FRANK BARRON
Frank Barron is the former editor of The Hollywood Reporter, having served twice in that capacity. In between, he was West Coast news director for Billboard Publications, supervising their five magazines.
Barron also created the western TV series “The Man From Blackhawk” for the ABC network.
For more than three decades he and writer-wife Margie Barron have covered Hollywood for Production Update magazine, and they currently contribute to numerous publications.
Frank started in showbiz as publicity director for the KHJ radio and television station. Before moving to California, he was a sports editor in New Jersey.